11251799

Connection Interface Circuit, Memory Storage Device and Phase-Locked Loop Circuit Calibration Method

PublishedFebruary 15, 2022
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

Patent Claims
27 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A connection interface circuit for connecting a memory storage device to a host system, the connection interface circuit comprising: a calibration circuit, configured to provide a jitter signal; a jitter generation circuit, configured to receive a first signal from the host system and generate a second signal according to the first signal and the jitter signal; and a phase-locked loop circuit, coupled to the jitter generation circuit and the calibration circuit and configured to perform a phase-lock operation on the second signal to generate a third signal, wherein the calibration circuit is further configured to calibrate an electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to a variation of a time difference between the first signal and the third signal, wherein the time difference comprises a first time difference and a second time difference, the first time difference is different from the second time difference, and the calibration circuit comprises: a jitter control circuit, configured to provide the jitter signal; a time to digit converter circuit, configured to detect the first time difference and the second time difference and generate a digital value according to the first time difference and the second time difference; and a control circuit, coupled to the jitter control circuit and the time to digit converter circuit and calibrating the electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to the digital value.

2

2. The connection interface circuit according to claim 1 , wherein a frequency of the jitter signal is not higher than a frequency of the first signal.

3

3. The connection interface circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the operation that the calibration circuit calibrates the electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to the variation of the time difference between the first signal and the third signal comprises: adjusting at least one circuit parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit to calibrate a loop bandwidth or a loop jitter peaking of the phase-locked loop circuit.

4

4. The connection interface circuit according to claim 3 , wherein the operation that the calibration circuit adjusts the at least one circuit parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit comprises: adjusting at least one of a current, an impedance and a gain on a close loop path of the phase-locked loop circuit.

5

5. The connection interface circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the digital value reflects a range of time offset caused by the jitter signal on the second signal.

6

6. The connection interface circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the operation that the calibration circuit calibrates the electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to the variation of the time difference between the first signal and the third signal comprises: setting a frequency of the jitter signal to a first frequency; after performing the phase-lock operation on the second signal generated according to the first signal and the jitter signal having the first frequency, comparing the first signal and the third signal to generate a first digital value; determining a target value according to the first digital value; setting the frequency of the jitter signal to a second frequency, wherein the second frequency is different from the first frequency; after performing the phase-lock operation on the second signal generated according to the first signal and the jitter signal having the second frequency, comparing the first signal and the third signal to generate a second digital value; and calibrating the electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to the target value and the second target value.

7

7. The connection interface circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the first signal is an initial signal for establishing a connection between the host system and the memory storage device in a handshake stage.

8

8. The connection interface circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the first signal is a test signal for calibrating the phase-locked loop circuit in a test stage.

9

9. The connection interface circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the jitter signal is configured to adjust the first signal so that at least one rising edge or at least one falling edge of a bitstream of the second signal has a different amount of time offset.

10

10. A memory storage device, comprising: a connection interface unit, configured to couple to a host system; a rewritable non-volatile memory module; and a memory control circuit unit, coupled to the connection interface unit and the rewritable non-volatile memory module, wherein the connection interface unit comprises a phase-locked loop circuit, wherein the connection interface unit is configured to receive a first signal from the host system, wherein the connection interface unit is further configured to generate a jitter signal, wherein the connection interface unit is further configured to generate a second signal according to the first signal and the jitter signal, wherein the phase-locked loop circuit is configured to perform a phase-lock operation on the second signal to generate a third signal, wherein the connection interface unit is further configured to calibrate an electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to a variation of a time difference between the first signal and the third signal, wherein the operation that the connection interface unit calibrates the electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to the variation of the time difference between the first signal and the third signal comprises: detecting a first time difference between the first signal and the third signal; detecting a second time difference between the first signal and the third signal, wherein the first time difference is different from the second time difference; generating a digital value according to the first time difference and the second time difference; and calibrating the electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to the digital value.

11

11. The memory storage device according to claim 10 , wherein a frequency of the jitter signal is not higher than a frequency of the first signal.

12

12. The memory storage device according to claim 10 , wherein the operation that the connection interface unit calibrates the electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to the variation of the time difference between the first signal and the third signal comprises: adjusting at least one circuit parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit to calibrate a loop bandwidth or a loop jitter peaking of the phase-locked loop circuit.

13

13. The memory storage device according to claim 12 , wherein the operation that the connection interface unit adjusts the at least one circuit parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit comprises: adjusting at least one of a current, an impedance and a gain on a close loop path of the phase-locked loop circuit.

14

14. The memory storage device according to claim 10 , wherein the digital value reflects a time offset range caused by the jitter signal on the second signal.

15

15. The memory storage device according to claim 10 , wherein the operation that the connection interface unit calibrates the electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to the variation of the time difference between the first signal and the third signal comprises: setting a frequency of the jitter signal to a first frequency; after performing the phase-lock operation on the second signal generated according to the first signal and the jitter signal having the first frequency, comparing the first signal and the third signal to generate a first digital value; determining a target value according to the first digital value; setting the frequency of the jitter signal to a second frequency, wherein the second frequency is different from the first frequency; after performing the phase-lock operation on the second signal generated according to the first signal and the jitter signal having the second frequency, comparing the first signal and the third signal to generate a second digital value; and calibrating the electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to the target value and the second target value.

16

16. The memory storage device according to claim 10 , wherein the first signal is an initial signal for establishing a connection between the host system and the memory storage device in a handshake stage.

17

17. The memory storage device according to claim 10 , wherein the first signal is a test signal for calibrating the phase-locked loop circuit in a test stage.

18

18. The memory storage device according to claim 10 , wherein the jitter signal is configured to adjust the first signal so that at least one rising edge or at least one falling edge of a bitstream of the second signal has a different amount of time offset.

19

19. A phase-locked loop circuit calibration method for a memory storage device comprising a rewritable non-volatile memory module, the phase-locked loop circuit calibration method comprising: receiving a first signal from a host system; generating a jitter signal by the memory storage device; generating a second signal according to the first signal and the jitter signal; performing a phase-lock operation on the second signal to generate a third signal by a phase-locked loop circuit; and calibrating an electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to a variation of a time difference between the first signal and the third signal, wherein the step of calibrating the electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to the variation of the time difference between the first signal and the third signal comprises: detecting a first time difference between the first signal and the third signal; detecting a second time difference between the first signal and the third signal, wherein the first time difference is different from the second time difference; generating a digital value according to the first time difference and the second time difference; and calibrating the electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to the digital value.

20

20. The phase-locked loop circuit calibration method according to claim 19 , wherein a frequency of the jitter signal is not higher than a frequency of the first signal.

21

21. The phase-locked loop circuit calibration method according to claim 19 , wherein the step of calibrating the electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to the variation of the time difference between the first signal and the third signal comprises: adjusting at least one circuit parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit to calibrate a loop bandwidth or a loop jitter peaking of the phase-locked loop circuit.

22

22. The phase-locked loop circuit calibration method according to claim 21 , wherein the step of adjusting the at least one circuit parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit comprises: adjusting at least one of a current, an impedance and a gain on a close loop path of the phase-locked loop circuit.

23

23. The phase-locked loop circuit calibration method according to claim 19 , wherein the digital value reflects a time offset range caused by the jitter signal on the second signal.

24

24. The phase-locked loop circuit calibration method according to claim 19 , wherein the step of calibrating the electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to the variation of the time difference between the first signal and the third signal comprises: setting a frequency of the jitter signal to a first frequency; after performing the phase-lock operation on the second signal generated according to the first signal and the jitter signal having the first frequency, comparing the first signal and the third signal to generate a first digital value; determining a target value according to the first digital value; setting the frequency of the jitter signal to a second frequency, wherein the second frequency is different from the first frequency; after performing the phase-lock operation on the second signal generated according to the first signal and the jitter signal having the second frequency, comparing the first signal and the third signal to generate a second digital value; and calibrating the electrical parameter of the phase-locked loop circuit according to the target value and the second target value.

25

25. The phase-locked loop circuit calibration method according to claim 19 , wherein the first signal is an initial signal for establishing a connection between the host system and the memory storage device in a handshake stage.

26

26. The phase-locked loop circuit calibration method according to claim 19 , wherein the first signal is a test signal for calibrating the phase-locked loop circuit in a test stage.

27

27. The phase-locked loop circuit calibration method according to claim 19 , wherein the jitter signal is configured to adjust the first signal so that at least one rising edge or at least one falling edge of a bitstream of the second signal has a different amount of time offset.

Patent Metadata

Filing Date

Unknown

Publication Date

February 15, 2022

Inventors

Chia-Hui Yu
Wun-Jian Su
Yu-Jung Chiu
Chiao-Chieh Yang

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Cite as: Patentable. “CONNECTION INTERFACE CIRCUIT, MEMORY STORAGE DEVICE AND PHASE-LOCKED LOOP CIRCUIT CALIBRATION METHOD” (11251799). https://patentable.app/patents/11251799

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